Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

Siobhan Phipps, who represented St. Kitts in the Digicel Haynes Smith Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant last night, has made her island proud, being crowned the queen for 2011-2012.
Capturing four of the five segments with an overall total of 826 points, the vibrant teen, according to the judges, stood out among the rest, winning her the prestigious title that she would carry for the next year.
Coming in some distance behind with 753 points was Miss Jamaica Aba Sykes. Trailing another great distance behind was Miss British Virgin Islands Ashellica Fahie with 695.5, and following closely behind was Miss Anguilla Keivanee Lake.
Their first appearance was the Ambassadorial Wear which Phipps won. She appeared onstage in a festive Carnival costume but representing one of the unique tourist attraction that makes the island stand above the rest - the St. Kitts Music Festival.
Phipps also won the Talent segment with 363 points.
Garbed in a maroon prom dress, in this comedic drama Phipps told the tale of how she was humiliated in front of everyone on the night of her prom, despite her efforts to ‘fit in’ with the rest of her peers. After experiencing an extremely deep level of degradation, she goes home to seek consolation from her parents with no success and feeling depressed, commits suicide.
Among a host of other prizes which included BlackBerrys compliments of Digicel, the queen and the First Runner-up also received a laptop and digital camera, compliments of Minister Condor.

Source:sknvibes.com

Spacious and new, fully furnished 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo with air conditioning throughout.

Price:$615,000

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When you are out and about in your home town on the beautiful island of St Kitts you will undoubtedly notice there are many home alterations under construction, together with various lawn signs for roofing contractors, replacement windows, or kitchen remodeling. While these bigger projects may increase home value, it is possible to find low-cost projects that can also add to the value of your home.

1. Paint the Interior. If you have not given your home a new coat of paint for 10 years or more, your ceiling is most likely looking dull and the colors on your walls are out of style.

New homeowners will often make the decision to use the same color throughout most of the house. And the color of choice tends to be white or a neutral color. It is possible to increase the value of your home by choosing to use more contemporary colors and opting for more vibrant colors for just a few rooms in your house. Freshly painted ceilings will brighten your home.

2. Refinish the front door. First impressions mean a great deal and if your front door is needing work this will be setting the wrong tone straight away.

Refinishing front doors does not usually take much effort. If it’s painted, make sure you sand the surface to make it rough before applying a new coat of paint. If it’s stained it is advisable to use a very fine grade of sandpaper to guarantee the sealer will adhere to the surface.

When you are preparing the door for that finish coat, check the weather stripping for damage. With soaring energy costs, adding newer and more effective weather stripping will help in reducing your costs in utility bills.

Whether you are painting or staining, start the task early in the morning that way the surface will dry before you need to close the door for the evening.

3. Replace your bathroom fan with one that’s rated for a room twice the size. Bathrooms are the second most costly room in the home to remodel. Apart from leaking pipes, nothing will cause much harm to your bathroom other than an excessive amount of steam from the shower.

Replacing your bathrooms fan with one ranked for a room twice its size will rapidly remove moisture and protect your bathroom from mold.

4. Replace kitchen cabinet hardware. Although the kitchen is easily the most costly room in your home to remodel, there are other options which will cost far less to make your kitchen look fresher. Replacing your kitchen cabinet hardware with self-closing hinges and new knobs or pulls can change the look of your kitchen ^ quickly and inexpensively.

5. Replace laminate kitchen counter tops. This is actually the most costly project on this list, however it can significantly improve the look of your kitchen - for under 15 % of the price of remodeling your kitchen completely. Laminates previously came in just a number of shades of white, however now it is available in most colors and designs, a lot of which resemble much more expensive solid surface materials, like stone or tile.

Another advantage to changing your laminate kitchen counters is that it could be a one-day job rather than the 8-12 weeks of disruption you would experience when completely remodeling the entire kitchen.

6. Landscape the front yard. When the shrubbery is overgrown, the wild birds are eating grubs in your lawn, and dandelions are the only flowers left in the yard, maybe its time to get out the gardening gloves and tools.

Landscape designs today do not necessarily mean three evergreen bushes on the left and on the right - there are many options of plants that will add color and style to your yard. Visit the local landscape designs center to see the dozens of ideas they will have for you.

7. Attack the list of maintenance jobs you’ve been meaning to get around to. Properly maintaining your home means keeping minor jobs minor, instead of allowing them to get bigger, and much more pricey.

8. Refinish your hardwood flooring. Scratched and worn hardwood flooring detract from your home’s value, and when left unprotected, you may need to replace them, resulting in a huge cost. Paying an expert to refinish them may be beneficial ^ going too far when using the sander can leave permanent indentations in your flooring. Find a list of companies in your area. And when you are refinishing your flooring, consider staining them for any dramatic, new look.

So if you want to ring in the changes this new year and add value to your home inexpensively, these tips should help you on the right path to a new fresh look for your home while adding value at the same time.

The Rotary Club of Liamuiga is once again hosting its Old Year’s Ball at the St. Kitts Marriott. The event this year has an added attraction in the person of Singing Francine. A veteran Trinidadian entertainer, she was invited to augment the already varied entertainment which includes the Fore Play Band and Threes Hi Fi. Over the years, the Ball has been known to attract a wide cross section of patrons and has become a favorite of many returning nationals.
Over the last three years, the event has turned out to be one of the Club’s main fund raisers that finances several of its community projects.
President Peter Jenkins commented, “We look forward to the support of the public each year at this ball. It is their great support for this and other fund-raising events which allow us to successfully fulfill our social agenda in the communities. We also look forward to the fraternal celebration with family and friends, returning nationals and residents as we welcome the New Year together.”
A packaged deal which includes an open bar and finger foods along with musical entertainment, most patrons look forward to breakfast which is served at around 4am.

Source:sknvibes.com

This home is situated in Cane Gardens, in a residential area, about ten minutes drive to Charlestown.

Price:$199,000

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When you have had all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season in your St Kitts Home it’s very easy to allow New Year’s Eve plans take a backseat. When the gifts have been bought, wrapped and given, the food is all cooked and eaten and all of the the relatives which were visiting have left, who has the energy to plan a party? Well, you can! Just follow these simple tips to help you ring in the new year in style.

Step One: Send invites via email, phone calls and texts, this will allow you to receive and keep track of RSVP’s quickly and easily, you dont need a fancily designed invite to ask close friends and relatives to celebrate with you and this way it is possible to make last minute plans. A good tip is to invite your guests to arrive at around 8pm, so that you have time to catch up and build up to ringing in the new year together.

Step Two: Plan the menu. Don’t feel as though you need to make all the food yourself. Look at your grocer’s freezer section for prepared snacks. Other easy refreshments are fruits and veggies cut into bite-sized portions and offered with cheese cubes. If your finances are tight, request visitors to create a snack, dessert or drinks to share. Speaking of drinks, consider planning one special cocktail or punch (and possibly a non-alcoholic version for designated motorists) and asking visitors to bring wine, beer and/or champagne if they so desire.

Step Three: Organize a playlist. Are you unsure what tunes work well for a New Year’s Eve party? Take a look at the internet for good ideas, using a free Internet radio service is also a good tip, as this means you’ll avoid needing to purchase any music and have the ability to mix your choices should you so choose.

Step Four: Clean. You want your house to be presentable for when visitors arrive, but don’t stress too much over cleaning because you almost certainly have plenty of cleaning to complete after everybody leaves. Concentrate on the basics in the most used areas and make sure anything you wouldn’t want your guests to see is put away.

Step Five: Party! Consider buying some noisemakers, party hats, etc., to add a festive touch to your party.

Remember New Years Eve is an exciting event filled with the anticipation of what the new year may bring, so enjoy with friends and family and ring in the new year they way you want to!

The team at Digicel St. Kitts and Nevis visited the St. Christopher Children’s Home on Thursday December 15th, to spread some Christmas cheer and love with the less-fortunate children. Bearing gifts for each child at the Home, the Digicel Team were met with wide open arms and warm friendly smiles.
The children were quick to show off the latest hand games and also share their talents such as poetry and signing with the visiting Digicel Team. The children then gathered around their dining tables to eat some mouth-watering goodies that the Digicel Representatives had prepared for them.
Each member of the Digicel team then individually presented a child with a Christmas gift, and each child showed their appreciation by expressing thanks. Some even shared a few kisses on the cheeks, “Being able to give these presents to you this evening and seeing the smiles on your faces is the best Christmas gifts that we can ever receive this Christmas Season,” expressed Sean Latty, Country Manager for Digicel St. Kitts and Nevis, who was also in attendance at The Children’s Home.
The Digicel ambassadors left The St. Christopher Children’s Home content that all the children would be having a Bigger & Better Christmas this year. Latty encourages everyone to “give the gift of giving this Christmas, especially to those in our communities who are in need or less fortunate, there is no greater gift than the gift of giving and we should endeavor to do this all year round but not just at Christmas”

Source:sknvibes.com

If Christmas is in your St Kitts Home this year, there is no need to panic . You will find a couple of easy tips for you to follow to ensure your Christmas goes off well without a hitch. Being organized is paramount and to really make it memorable try doing something different to the traditional sit down lunch. As you live in a warmer climate you may even decide to have your Christmas lunch outdoors on the patio. Your Christmas party could be a pool party in which your guests can enjoy a cooling dip in the pool!

Plan your Menu

Ensure you know what you are going to be cooking and that you have organized a day to collect the meat or seafood you have ordered. You might like choose to serve a traditional Christmas feast indoors, or if you are going to enjoy the outdoors with a barbecue, seafood, meat, and salads are a good option. Of course whether it is formal or casual, deserts are always important for guests with a sweet tooth!

Formal or Casual?

Do you enjoy a classic formal Christmas with a fancy meal, making use of your best silverware or perhaps a Christmas outdoors round the barbecue more your scene? Either option is a terrific way to celebrate Christmas and also to spend some time with family and friends. For any formal Christmas decorate your table with candles, tinsel and other Christmas decorations. Set out your good tableware and serve your meal with all the trimmings.

Select the best wines you can buy, with a nice sparkling wine to accompany the start of the meal. If you decide on a casual Christmas lunch turn on the barbecue and prepare some prawns or bake a whole fish. You may even prepare meats on the barbecue. Pavlova is a superb dessert on a warm day, along with a fresh fruit salad, or you can even serve serve Christmas pudding cold.

Decorations

To get into the festive spirit make sure you decorate your home. As well as the Christmas tree decorate the table and hang up tinsel and baubles along with other decorations round the room or yard.

Presents

Know in advance whether your family and friends are giving presents. Some families go all out and purchase presents for every member of the family, others don’t bother at all. If you’re watching your spending possibly organize a secret Santa, where each member of the group buys one gift for just one other member of the family. It should be taken care of some time before Christmas to give each person enough time to purchase gifts.

Digicel is spreading Christmas cheer throughout St. Kitts and Nevis with its “Grab $150,000 in Cash & Prizes” Christmas Promotion. Since the launch of Digicel’s Bigger and Better Christmas Promotion on November 18th 2011, islanders have been literally filling their pockets with lots of cash and walking away with fantastic prizes.
Every Friday since the launch, Digicel customers who have qualified in the Promotion have entered the inflatable Cash Vault for their chance to grab as much cash and prizes as they could in 10 seconds. Lucky customers have qualified by simply topping up their prepaid handsets with $15 or more and collected letters to spell ‘GRABCASH’, paid 50% or more of their Digicel postpaid bill, purchased a new BlackBerry handset with sim card, or activated any prepaid plan or signed up for a new postpaid account.
Digicel has also given customers on other networks the chance to grab up to $150,000 in cash and prizes. Last Friday, on the launch of the Digicel-endorsed “Red Devils” Jouvert Troupe, the Digicel Cash Vault was on location at Fat Tuesdays, where persons with any mobile phone who texted ‘GRABCASH’ to an assigned Digicel number, were randomly selected to enter the money chamber.
Customers have until December 30th to qualify in Digicel’s Christmas Promotion & win for themselves cash, airline tickets, flat screen TV’s, free credit, BlackBerry handsets, restaurant vouchers and other prizes.

Source:sknvibes.com

When you live on the beautiful island of St Kitts Christmas time will always be celebrated in the warm weather the island benefits from, of course for many this is a big difference to the normal Christmas in their home country. So how do you bring on the Christmas spirit in a warmer climate?
Are you considering decorating your home with a Christmas palm tree? You are definitely not alone, this has become a very popular choice for many people living in tropical or beach locations, enjoy celebrating the holidays with a festive beach or tropic theme with your palm tree.

Theme Ideas

When you are decorating a palm tree, there are several themes that you may choose including beach, tropical or nautical themes. If you have decided on the beach or tropical theme then a good way to decorate your tree would be with flip flops, Hawaiian t-shirts, surf boards or sand and seashells and you may even decide to decorate the rest of your home with these types of items also. If you decide on a nautical theme, boats, rafts and fish motifs can be used, good colors for a nautical theme are blue, red and even a little green.

Decorations

Decorating your home for the holidays is a lot of fun especially with this type of tree. Seashells and starfish are a good choice if you want to stay with a white or off-white theme, they are also very decorative items when used in a garland.

Another way to decorate your home with a tropical feel is to make some of your own ornaments, old clear bulbs filled with sand are very effective when hung on a tree.

If you have chosen the nautical theme, using small boat ornaments or sea creature ornaments such as seahorses or dolphins will make your tree look beautiful.

Lighting

String lighting is another wonderful way to decorate for beach, tropical and nautical themes. You can purchase the traditional white colored bulbs or even blue would look great for any theme, and if you want to make the lights even prettier why not hang flip flops, Hawaiian T-Shirts, or surf boards on them.

Where to find Beach or Tropical Theme Items

Christmas accessories for beach and tropical themes are easily found in shops and online stores, as well as at craft events, if you are lucky enough to live along the coast why not go to the beach with the family and choose some seashells to decorate. Whatever theme you choose, your home will be inviting and festive for you, your family and friends to celebrate this magical time of the year together.